Homeowners will be able to get Government-backed loans to pay for energy efficiency improvements under a flagship scheme which launches today.

Ministers said the Green Deal would bring about a revolution in energy efficiency - and provide a much-needed boost to the economy.

Officials at the Department for Energy and Climate Change (DECC) said anecdotal information from suppliers suggested hundreds of households have been assessed for the Green Deal.

But they said precise numbers could not be revealed because they were being collated for official statistics.

Reports had earlier suggested just five assessments had been carried out ahead of the launch, which will see Government-backed loans available for energy efficiency work made available for the first time.